Everything Taylor Swift has worn at the MTV VMAs, ranked from least to most iconic
· Business Insider
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- Taylor Swift is a staple of the MTV Video Music Awards. Remember her 2009 appearance?
- She's worn some of her most iconic looks at the event, like a crystal-encrusted minidress in 2022.
- Swift has also worn some VMAs outfit duds — like the suit she chose in 2012.
What would the MTV Video Music Awards be without Taylor Swift?
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That's been tough to imagine since 2008, when the pop icon attended her first VMAs. She's now attended 12 times total, making her a staple of the event.
I'm not only talking about the performances she's given or the 33 Video Music Awards she's won. Her VMAs fashion has also become legendary.
Here's everything she's worn at the event, ranked from least to most iconic.
Taylor Swift attended the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in a white J. Mendel suit.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on September 6, 2012.PA Images/Getty Images
The blazer-and-pants combo was sophisticated, but more appropriate for a day at the office than a night on the red carpet.
She made an appearance onstage with Nicki Minaj in 2015, but her sparkling outfit wasn't the most memorable.Taylor Swift performs at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2015.John Shearer/Getty Images
Her red fringe leotard matched Minaj's ruby gown, and its see-through panels gave it a daring edge.
But it also looked like a lot of Swift's other performance outfits from the "1989" era, so it didn't make a big mark.
You might have chosen to forget the dramatic ensemble Swift wore at the 2024 event.Taylor Swift at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.Noam Galai/Getty Images
While promoting "The Tortured Poets Department," Swift made a dramatic arrival at the 2024 VMAs.
She wore a custom Dior look comprising a zip-up corset in a tartan print. It extended into a full skirt with a slit in front that revealed her black miniskirt and thigh-high leather boots.
The outfit was bold, but didn't match the era Swift was in — or any that have come since.
The beige Dolce & Gabbana dress she wore to perform "Innocent" in 2010 didn't stand out when she stepped away from her stage set.Taylor Swift performs at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
She wore the strapless dress with red lipstick, no shoes, and a tightly curled hairstyle.
The look had a vintage feel that perfectly matched the moody set at the beginning of her performance.
Still, it wasn't as memorable once she walked out to the open stage.
For her first VMAs in 2008, Swift wore an outfit that was a bit more fun but still understated.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7, 2008.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
In 2008, she wore a beige Kaufmanfranco dress with a strapless bustier top and a pleated skirt.
The dress itself was pretty simple, but Swift leveled up with metallic heels and jewelry that gave it more glam.
The glittering dress she wore to host MTV's pre-show that year was classic Swift.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7, 2008.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Swift's earliest performance outfits were often comprised of cowboy boots and sequin-covered minidresses. So this "Fearless"-esque outfit made a lot of sense for the musician at the time.
It's not the most iconic outfit she's ever worn at the VMAs, but it's certainly nostalgic.
Swift mirrored fashion from her music video at the 2026 VMAs.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2026.John Shearer/WireImage/Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
She wore a Tamara Ralph couture piece with a velvet, halter-neck bodice, a mesh lace-up back, and a ruched skirt covered in silver sparkles.
The top of the gown looked a bit like the dress Swift wears in the music video for her single, "Patient Zero." Swift attended the 2026 MTV VMAs to premiere the video and receive the inaugural artist director honors award.
Swift wore a shiny ensemble to perform "Lover" and "You Need to Calm Down" at the awards show in 2019.Taylor Swift performs at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 26, 2019.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Versace custom-made her metallic bustier top and sparkling blue shorts, while Louboutin created her golden ankle boots.
Though the pieces stood out, Swift's performance marked the first time she played both "Lover" tracks live — so Swifties will probably remember that musical moment over her outfit.
Ten years earlier, she wore a vintage A-line dress to perform at the show.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009.PA Images/Getty Images
That was the year Kanye West infamously interrupted Swift as she accepted MTV's best female video award. And as many Swifties will remember, he did so less than an hour before Swift was set to perform at the show.
While the red dress she changed into wasn't the most iconic outfit she wore that night, it still played a role in a major career moment for the musician.
It was an exciting moment when Swift kicked off the "Red" era at the 2012 VMAs.Taylor Swift performs at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 6, 2012.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Swift announced her album "Red" in August 2012, so her VMAs performance of "We Are Never Getting Back Together" was one of the first times fans got a glimpse of her new preppy fashion.
She wore a red striped shirt, high-waisted black shorts, and sparkling red loafers — a look that's now a signature ensemble of that era.
The same goes for her "1989"-inspired outfit in 2014.Taylor Swift performs at the MTV VMAs in Inglewood, California, on August 24, 2014.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Days after releasing "Shake It Off" and announcing her fifth studio album, Swift hit the VMAs stage in a glittering fringe-covered crop top and miniskirt.
The outfit — which she wore various versions of throughout the "1989" era — has become so iconic that it was recreated in multiple colors for her 2023 Eras Tour.
Whether you love it or hate it, Swift's long-sleeved romper in 2014 stands out among her VMAs fashion.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on August 24, 2014.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Mary Katrantzou designed the baby-blue, alphabet-print piece, which Swift wore with burgundy sandals and a wavy bob hairstyle.
Her red-carpet look in 2015 was also unique and memorable.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2015.Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
Swift arrived at the VMAs that year in a houndstooth ensemble designed by Ashish. It featured a long-sleeved crop top and high-waisted joggers, both covered in yellow, orange, green, and blue sequins.
She also completed the edgy outfit with a strappy pair of Louboutin heels.
The sleek gown Swift wore in 2013 was extremely bold for the musician.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, 2013.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The Hervé Léger by Max Azria gown is also one of the most daring dresses Swift has worn in her career.
Its plunging neckline was lined with navy-colored crystals, and its bandage-style skirt hugged her body. She wore it with matching blue jewelry and a short, curled hairstyle.
She stepped onto the 2023 pink carpet wearing a custom Versace gown embellished with gold buttons.Taylor Swift attends the MTV VMAs on September 12, 2023.Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
The dress was sleek and simple, while her layered jewelry sparkled. Together, the pieces created one of Swift's most glamorous VMAs looks to date.
The outfit was also pretty iconic, as Swift became the unofficial star of the 2023 event.
But the denim minidress she wore at the end of the awards show was even more fun.Taylor Swift attends Diddy's VMAs after party on September 12, 2023.Gotham/Getty Images
Swift changed into an EB Denim dress with a corseted bodice and a raw-hem skirt, both in varying shades of blue. She also wore silver sandals, her signature red lip, and some of the same accessories she donned at the VMAs.
The outfit was playful, fashionable, and a perfect merge of her style from various eras.
Swift's colorful blazer in 2019 might not have been everyone's cup of tea, but it was still iconic.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on August 26, 2019.Paul Bruinooge/Getty Images
Versace designed the printed, multicolored blazer that Swift wore over a pink top at the 2019 VMAs.
The bold outfit was both a departure from Swift's usual style and a nod to the bright aesthetic of "Lover," which had been released days before the show.
Swift had a lot of fun with her VMAs fashion in 2022.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2022.Christopher Polk/Getty Images
After winning three awards and announcing her album "Midnights" at the VMAs that year, Swift stopped by the red carpet in a silk Moschino romper that was, of course, midnight blue.
She also donned sparkling platform sandals and a fuzzy white coat, creating an outfit that fans, including Flavor Flav, recreated for the Eras Tour.
She was also truly bejeweled when she first arrived on the red carpet.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2022.Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
The Oscar de la Renta minidress Swift sported in 2022 remains one of the most stunning outfits she's worn to date.
With a halter neckline and sheer panels from top to bottom, the dress was crafted with strings of diamonds that wrapped around her body, creating the illusion that she was wearing nothing but jewels.
Swift's most iconic VMAs outfit, however, was a different sparkling number.Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Before the incident between Swift and West at the 2009 VMAs, she arrived on the red carpet in a sparkling Kaufmanfranco gown.
The single-shoulder garment had a shapeless design and a floor-length skirt, and its beaded fabric was extremely glamorous.
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